Latest news with #KiranPatil
Gulf Insider
13-07-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Cambridge Researchers Find Gut Bacteria Could Help Remove 'Forever Chemicals' From Body
Researchers have found that nine species of gut bacteria can help detoxify the body from forever chemicals, rapidly absorbing PFAS linked to cancer and other serious illnesses. 'This uncovers a new beneficial role of gut bacteria for the human health—to help removing toxic PFAS from our body,' senior study author Kiran Patil, a member of the MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, told The Epoch Times. The Cambridge University study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, identified nine bacterial species that can absorb up to 75 percent of toxic PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—from their surroundings. PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in thousands of consumer products, from nonstick pans and waterproof clothing to cosmetics and food packaging. Dubbed 'forever chemicals' because they resist breaking down in the environment, PFAS accumulate in human bodies and have been linked to various cancers, liver damage, and immune system disorders. Currently, there are no approved treatments to remove PFAS from the human body, making this discovery potentially significant for public health. The research team identified nine bacterial species—including six in the Bacteroides family, Odoribacter splanchnicus, Parabacteroides distasonis, and Parabacteroides merdae—that can absorb two common types of PFAS: perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). When these bacteria were introduced into mice, they quickly absorbed the chemicals. When they were excreted through the gut, the forever chemicals were removed with them in waste. Within minutes of exposure, the bacteria absorbed between 25 and 74 percent of PFAS chemicals at various concentration levels. The researchers believe the way bacteria collect PFAS into protective clumps inside their cells is a survival mechanism that prevents the chemicals from causing cellular damage. As the mice were exposed to increasing PFAS levels, the bacteria kept removing a steady percentage of the toxins, suggesting they could act as a natural filter in the gut. The effectiveness of this approach depends on the specific type of PFAS compound, Patil said. Short-chain PFAS leave the body quickly through urine. However, long-chain PFAS stay in the body for years and are mostly removed through feces. Therefore, using bacteria works best for PFAS compounds that are primarily eliminated through fecal excretion, according to Patil. The bacteria proved effective even at very low exposure levels similar to those found in European and U.S. water samples, suggesting potential real-world applications. The researchers plan to develop probiotic supplements that could boost these helpful bacteria, offering a new way to reduce PFAS levels in humans. However, while promising, the results have not yet been tested directly in humans. There are always unknown factors between lab studies on mice and real-world applications for humans, Bryan Quoc Le, a food scientist and founder of and principal food consultant at Mendocino Food Consulting, who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times. 'Despite this,' he said, 'the study did take a more comprehensive approach, such as using diverse microbial populations that are realistic for humans, and testing with different types of PFAS.' However, he also noted the main challenges with a study like this include not knowing how things change in the long term, how these selected bacteria survive in different microbiomes with different diets and health conditions, and whether the same level of PFAS uptake would occur consistently and reliably. 'Needless to say, this area of research is still developing, so nothing is conclusive for human applicability yet, but it does suggest that further research would be worthwhile,' Le continued. Medical experts urge caution despite the findings. Dr. Joseph Mercola, board-certified family medicine osteopathic physician, not involved in the study, emphasized the importance of careful implementation when introducing new bacterial strains into the human gut. While the bacteria used in the study came from species already found in healthy humans, even familiar microbes can act differently depending on our overall gut balance, immune system, and existing health conditions, he told The Epoch Times. 'The good news is that these species aren't exotic imports; they're already natural residents in many people,' he said. 'Still, scaling up their population through supplements or engineered probiotics could throw off your microbial balance if done recklessly.' Dr. Kham Ali, an emergency medicine physician at Northwell Health in New York and not involved in the study, warned that adding bacteria to our microbiome that store toxic PFAS could have 'unintended consequences,' such as disrupting other beneficial bacteria or affecting how the body processes food and medicine. 'We'd need long-term human studies to understand the safety of such interventions,' he told The Epoch Times.
Epoch Times
10-07-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Gut Bacteria Could Help Remove ‘Forever Chemicals' From Body
Researchers have found that nine species of gut bacteria can help detoxify the body from forever chemicals, rapidly absorbing PFAS linked to cancer and other serious illnesses. 'This uncovers a new beneficial role of gut bacteria for the human health—to help removing toxic PFAS from our body,' senior study author Kiran Patil, a member of the University of Cambridge's MRC Toxicology Unit, told The Epoch Times. How Bacteria Work The Cambridge University study, published in the journal
Scientific American
04-07-2025
- Health
- Scientific American
Human Gut Bacteria Can Gather Up PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals'
Lurking in our nonstick pans, our rain jackets and even our drinking water are toxic compounds known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also called 'forever chemicals.' They can take hundreds of years to break down in the environment and are increasingly being detected in human blood and bodily tissues—where, research suggests, they can lead to several cancers and reproductive disorders, as well as thyroid disease and a weakened immune system. Scientists have been scrambling for ways to remove PFAS from our surroundings before they reach human bodies. But one team may now have found a way to tackle them afterward. Bacteria commonly found in the human gut could potentially be used to gather up PFAS and carry them out as waste, researchers suggest in a study published this week in Nature Microbiology. 'I think this research provides us a little glimmer of hope that it's not all doom and gloom' when it comes to the PFAS problem, says study co-author Kiran Patil, a molecular biologist at the University of Cambridge. 'Maybe our bacteria—that have been our companions for thousands of years—may already be helping us do something about it.' On supporting science journalism subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. The team first tested how PFAS and other pollutants interacted with dozens of bacterial strains from the human gut and noticed that nine of them accumulated certain PFAS chemicals very effectively. When grown in laboratory conditions, these bacteria sopped up anywhere from 25 to 74 percent of the PFAS chemicals they were exposed to within 24 hours. The researchers suggest those particular strains could potentially bind to PFAS in the body and carry them out of the system. Previous work had shown that bacteria from contaminated soils can bind to PFAS. But those bacteria were exposed to much higher levels of the chemicals and had a relatively low capacity to sequester them—'so we had no reason to believe that gut bacteria would be anything special,' Patil says. Many researchers had assumed that PFAS molecules would cling to a bacterium's outer membrane rather than getting inside it, Patil says. Because the bacteria in the study were gathering more PFAS than could feasibly fit on their membrane, however, the team thought the chemicals must have actually entered the organisms. To confirm this, Patil and his colleagues used an imaging technique in which they rapidly froze the bacteria, then fired tiny beams of charged particles at them and analyzed what flew out. The researchers detected fluorine molecules—a telltale sign of PFAS—emerging from the bacteria. To find out whether bacteria would still collect PFAS chemicals inside a larger organism, the team used mice raised to lack a microbiome of their own and colonized the animals' gut with several human microbiome bacteria that were shown to absorb PFAS. After exposing the mice to various levels of a PFAS chemical, the researchers measured the amount of PFAS in the animals' feces and found that mice with PFAS-collecting bacteria excreted more of the toxic chemicals than those without the microorganisms did. This study shows just how deeply PFAS penetrate a body and its systems, says environmental epidemiologist Jesse Goodrich, who was not involved in the work. 'It is another piece in the puzzle that shows how PFAS can impact human health.' Applying the latest findings to humans would require more research. The team is now planning a clinical trial to test whether probiotics containing such bacteria could potentially supplement the human microbiome and decrease PFAS in our own species' gut. But the researchers note that such a trial would have far more variable factors than a highly controlled study in mice with lab-designed microbiomes. 'There's a huge variation in how the composition of the microbiome is set up within humans,' says the new study's lead author Anna Lindell, a toxicologist at the University of Cambridge. Further research could also observe the naturally occurring levels of these bacterial strains in people within the same community and measure the amount of PFAS in their bodies, Patil says. Such a study would help to clarify whether these bacteria lead to less PFAS in the human gut—or even in other parts of the body. Supplementing the body's natural bacteria to manage PFAS absorption is 'interesting and has potential,' Goodrich says. 'But ultimately, the best way to protect health is to prevent exposure in the first place.'
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gut Bacteria Found to Soak Up Toxic Forever Chemicals
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have the nickname 'forever chemicals' thanks to their persistence in the environment. While a handful of bacteria are known to mop up these insidious compounds, it's unclear whether any of our own microflora hide such a talent. A new study by an international team of researchers has shown how several species of human gut bacteria can absorb and store PFAS. Potentially, boosting these types of bacteria in our bodies could stop the chemicals from negatively impacting our health. "We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations, and store these in clumps inside their cells," says Kiran Patil, a molecular biologist from the University of Cambridge in the UK. "Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects." Related: Through detailed lab tests, the researchers found a total of 38 different gut bacterial strains able to absorb forever chemicals at a variety of concentrations, with the fiber-degrading bacterium Bacteroides uniformis one of the best at the job. In experiments with Escherichia coli, the team also discovered certain mechanisms that could make bacteria more or less effective at taking on board PFAS – something that will be useful if this absorption can be bioengineered in the future. The researchers found that PFAS were effectively locked away in the bacteria that could handle the chemicals, the bacteria clustering together in a way that reduces their surface area and possibly protects the microorganisms from being harmed themselves. Further tests on mice with nine of these bacteria species implanted in their guts showed that the microbes were able to quickly absorb PFAS, which was excreted from the mice through their feces. As levels of forever chemicals increased, the microbes worked harder at soaking them up. "The reality is that PFAS are already in the environment and in our bodies, and we need to try and mitigate their impact on our health now," says molecular biologist Indra Roux from the University of Cambridge. "We haven't found a way to destroy PFAS, but our findings open the possibility of developing ways to get them out of our bodies where they do the most harm." PFAS are found in everything from cosmetics to drinking water to food packaging, and have become embedded in so many manufacturing processes that it would now be almost impossible to avoid them completely. What's less clear is the harm they might be doing to our bodies, though they've already been linked to a number of health issues – including kidney damage. The bacteria's ability to remove PFAS from human bodies remains to be seen. It is possible, the researchers say, that probiotic dietary supplements may be developed to boost the right mix of gut microbes and help safely clear out PFAS from our systems. "Given the scale of the problem of PFAS 'forever chemicals', particularly their effects on human health, it's concerning that so little is being done about removing these from our bodies," says Patil. The research has been published in Nature Microbiology. Gene Therapy Can Restore Hearing in Adults, First-of-Its-Kind Trial Shows Cheese May Actually Fuel Nightmares, Surprising Study Confirms New Weight-Loss Drugs Under Scrutiny Amid Pancreas Concerns
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers discover certain gut bacteria can protect you from toxic plastics that increase cancer risks
Could your gut protect you from the toxic impacts of forever chemicals? Forever chemicals, also known as 'PFAS,' are long-lasting, synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products around the world since the 1950s. They're found in waterproof clothing, non-stick pans, plastic food packaging, and firefighting foams. Exposure to the chemicals may be tied to negative health impacts, including fertility, developmental delays in children, a weakened immune system, increased cholesterol levels, and a heightened risk of some cancers. There are thousands of forever chemicals that have potentially varying effects and toxicity levels. Now, scientists say they've discovered that some bacteria found in the human gut have the ability to absorb the chemicals — and potentially protect from associated health impacts. 'We found that certain species of human gut bacteria have a remarkably high capacity to soak up PFAS from their environment at a range of concentrations, and store these in clumps inside their cells,' Dr. Kiran Patil, a member of the British University of Cambridge's MRC Toxicology Unit, explained in a statement. 'Due to aggregation of PFAS in these clumps, the bacteria themselves seem protected from the toxic effects.' Patil was the senior author of the research, which was published in the journal Nature Microbiology. To reach these conclusions, the researchers inserted several species of bacteria from the human gut into mice. The study found that nine species of the bacteria gathered the forever chemicals the rodents ate and then pooped out. When exposed to increasing levels of the chemicals, the bacteria worked even harder, consistently removing the same percentage of the toxic chemicals. Within just minutes of exposure, the bacterial species soaked up between a quarter and nearly two-thirds of the forever chemicals. The same effect has not yet been tested in humans, but the researchers said they plan to use their findings to create probiotic dietary supplements that boost the levels of these species in the gut to shield against any PFAS-related health harms. They are also looking at how they could turbo-charge the species' performance. 'The reality is that PFAS are already in the environment and in our bodies, and we need to try and mitigate their impact on our health now,' Dr. Indra Roux, a researcher at the University of Cambridge's MRC Toxicology Unit and a co-author of the study, said. Until then, the researchers say the best thing people can do to protect themselves is to avoid known risks for exposure. Although, even tap water has been contaminated: nearly half of all tap water in America. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency moved to weaken Biden-era standards limiting the pollution of potentially-toxic 'forever chemicals' in U.S. drinking water sources earlier this year. 'PFAS were once considered safe, but it's now clear that they're not,' added fellow researcher Dr. Anna Lindell. 'It's taken a long time for PFAS to become noticed because at low levels they're not acutely toxic. But they're like a slow poison.'
